This review of the Netflix series Sintonia Season 4 does not contain spoilers.
Sintonia has always been a quiet, unshowy success for Netflix, a Brazilian crime drama that realizes the importance of having actual three-dimensional characters pose in front of background social issues. Guilherme Quintella, KondZilla, and Felipe Braga’s show, now on its fourth season, this one comprising eight episodes instead of the usual six, has steadily gained popularity and confidence since it debuted in 2019.
The latest season is not without fault, especially with its expanded episode count, the latter few boasting hefty runtimes. But it remains a compelling, solidly constructed showcase of moral dilemma.
Sintonia Season 4 review and plot summary
For those unaware – and I don’t recommend you start here, for what it’s worth – the series revolves around three childhood friends, Rita, Nando, and Doni, in their respective efforts to escape a shared hardscrabble background by any means necessary.
The third season ended with a reunion, a police raid, gunfire, and screams – quite the cliffhanger and a virtual guarantee of this season way before it was greenlit.
The fourth season picks up from there and once again excels in the chemistry and interlocking personal stories of these three leads. Four seasons in, their relationships are believable and layered, and their characters lived-in and worn down by situations that test their trust, morals, beliefs, and relationships.
The longer runtime does give way to a relatively saggy middle stretch, but it also affords the space for a more thorough unpacking of the characters’ headspaces and the context in which their decisions are being made. As with previous seasons, the three leads navigate distinct cultural strands – politics, religion, entertainment, the underworld – that inevitably intersect with often emotionally heavy results.
Reliably engaging performances help these narratives connect with audiences, but it’s once again KondZilla’s eye and ear for cultural detail that really makes the difference. Sintonia, in probably the most overcrowded subgenre in streaming, has a distinct vibe all its own.
Is Sintonia Season 4 good or bad?
Sintonia remains a mature and carefully constructed crime drama with well-drawn characters and a unique sensibility – if not necessarily a totally fresh presentation or thematic backbone.
This was true of all three previous seasons, and it’s true of this one, the increased length of which would feel like just reward for those of us who have been here since the beginning if the writing and pacing through the middle episodes were tighter.
That’s a minor quibble, though. On the whole, Sintonia sustains a higher baseline level of quality than most similar shows ever reach.
Is Sintonia Season 4 worth watching?
Fans can rest assured that the fourth season of Sintonia delivers more of what they expect from the show, and while they might not necessarily be thrilled with every character and narrative decision, that’s the price of admission for a layered crime series that actually wants to be about something.
What did you think of Sintonia Season 4? Comment below.
You can watch this series with a subscription to Netflix.
